On May 23, 2025, Donald Trump said a proposed 25% tariff aimed at iPhones made outside the United States would also cover Samsung and “anybody” else making smartphones abroad. That was a presidential warning, not by itself a legally collectible customs duty. A tariff would require formal executive or agency action, tariff classifications and customs instructions before it could be charged on imported phones.
What Trump announced on May 23, 2025
Trump first warned Apple that iPhones sold in the United States would face at least a 25% tariff if they were not manufactured domestically. After a reporter questioned whether he could single out one company, Trump broadened the statement. He named Samsung and said the policy would apply to “anybody” making smartphones outside the United States, with implementation targeted for around the end of June. Contemporaneous coverage and Associated Press reporting described the proposed rate as 25% or more.
The wording matters: Trump was announcing or threatening a policy, not publishing a customs rule. A stated deadline is not evidence that collection began on that date.
Samsung was an example, not the only target
Trump’s reference to Samsung signaled an equal-treatment rationale. The proposal was not presented as a penalty for Samsung or as an Apple-only measure. Its intended scope appeared to be smartphones manufactured outside the United States, potentially covering Apple, Samsung, Google, Motorola, OnePlus, Xiaomi and other brands that import devices into the U.S.
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The remarks did not establish the treatment of every brand or model. The final result would depend on the tariff’s legal text, customs classification and the manufacturing origin assigned to a particular device.
Would the duty apply to a company, a phone or a country?
A company-specific tariff aimed only at Apple would raise different legal and administrative issues from a product-wide duty. Trump’s follow-up moved the idea toward a product or manufacturing-origin approach, but he did not specify the mechanism.
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| Possible approach | What it could mean | What remained unknown |
|---|---|---|
| Company-specific | A named manufacturer’s imports could face a duty. | How the government would define and administer a company-only measure. |
| Product-specific | Imported smartphones from multiple brands could be covered. | The tariff classification, rate and exclusions. |
| Country-specific | The rate could vary with the country where a phone or component was made. | Which countries, agreements or exceptions would apply. |
| Origin-based | Customs could focus on where the finished phone was manufactured or substantially transformed. | How U.S. assembly and imported parts would be treated. |
“Made in the United States” is not a simple phone label
A final rule would need to address more than the location of the last assembly step. Customs analysis can involve where substantial transformation occurred and how imported displays, processors, memory, cameras, batteries and other parts are treated.
- A phone assembled in the U.S. might still contain mostly imported components.
- A U.S. subsidiary selling a foreign-made phone would not necessarily change the phone’s country of origin.
- Domestic assembly would not automatically eliminate duties on imported parts.
- Apple’s production was concentrated largely in China, with a growing share assembled in India; a rule based on non-U.S. manufacture would treat both as foreign-made, while a country-specific schedule could distinguish them. TIME provided contemporaneous supply-chain context.
- Samsung uses multiple countries and facilities, so the relevant fact is the origin of the specific U.S.-market model, not a single “Samsung country.”
Why April’s electronics exclusions complicate the story
In April 2025, smartphones, computers and some related electronics were temporarily excluded from portions of a new tariff regime. Administration officials, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, said the relief could be followed by a separate semiconductor-related tariff structure. The Associated Press reported on the temporary exclusions and semiconductor possibility.
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That background is why the May announcement cannot be read as a simple continuation of an already collected 25% smartphone duty. Later executive actions, country arrangements and product decisions changed the broader tariff landscape. For authoritative status, consult the U.S. Trade Representative’s presidential tariff actions page, the Congressional Research Service timeline and relevant White House orders and fact sheets. Those records, rather than the May remarks alone, determine what customs can collect.
Would a 25% tariff make phones 25% more expensive?
Not necessarily. A duty is generally assessed on customs value, not the phone’s final retail price. The importer, manufacturer, distributor and retailer could absorb some cost, or respond by changing prices, promotions, inventory and distribution.
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- Retail increases could be smaller or larger than the duty’s percentage, depending on margins and strategy.
- Companies could reduce trade-in credits or carrier promotions instead of raising the advertised price.
- A tariff on components could affect a phone assembled in the U.S. even if the finished device avoided a finished-goods duty.
- Model, country of assembly, import date and any exclusion could produce different outcomes.
What buyers should check
- Identify the exact model. Record the model number and whether it is unlocked or a carrier version.
- Check manufacturing information. Look at the box, manufacturer documentation or retailer listing for the device’s stated origin; do not assume all phones under one brand share it.
- Separate policy from pricing. Ask whether a retailer or carrier actually changed the price or added a surcharge, rather than inferring a tariff from a headline.
- Calculate the net cost. Include trade-in credits, monthly installments, activation requirements and any plan changes.
- Review inventory and protections. Existing stock may have entered the country before a duty’s effective date, while replacement-cost pricing can still change its selling price. Check return and warranty terms.
- Verify the legal status. Look for a formal tariff order, customs notice or current USTR/CRS status entry before treating the 25% figure as operative.
Edge cases
- Refurbished phones: Earlier import dates, domestic repair and third-party resale can produce different pricing and customs facts; refurbished status does not guarantee tariff-free treatment.
- Carrier promotions: A monthly payment may stay constant while promotional credits or trade-in values fall.
- Accessories: Chargers, cases, watches, earbuds, tablets and laptops can have different classifications or exclusions.
- Warranty replacements: A replacement shipment may follow different customs procedures from a new retail import, depending on the applicable rule.
What is confirmed—and what is not
| Confirmed from the May 23 remarks | Still requiring a formal rule |
|---|---|
| Trump named Samsung and other smartphone makers. | Whether a smartphone-specific duty took effect. |
| The announced rate was 25% or more. | The final classification, legal authority and effective date. |
| The stated condition was manufacture outside the U.S. | Whether every model, brand or country would be covered. |
| Trump mentioned an end-of-June target. | How U.S. assembly, imported components and later trade agreements would interact. |
Why the announcement still matters
The threat put the focus on the phone’s manufacturing origin rather than the logo on its case. It also exposed how quickly tariff policy could shift through exclusions, semiconductor proposals and later country- or product-specific actions. For consumers, the practical question is not whether “Samsung” or “iPhone” is tariffed in the abstract; it is whether a particular device is covered by an enforceable rule and how the importer and seller pass any cost through.
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- Please note, this device does not support E-SIM; This 4G model is compatible with all GSM networks worldwide outside of the U.S. In the US, ONLY compatible with T-Mobile and their MVNO's (Metro and Standup). It will NOT work with other CDMA carriers, and it is also not compatible with their MVNO (Visible, Xfinity Mobile, US Mobile, Cricket Wireless, etc).
- Compatibility with certain third-party devices and accessibility accessories, including some hearing aids, may vary depending on manufacturer support, Bluetooth protocols, software compatibility, and regional firmware limitations. For additional hearing aid compatibility information, please refer to Samsung’s official support documentation.
- Camera: 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/2.76", 0.64µm, AF | 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/2.76", 0.64µm, AF | 2 MP, f/2.4, (macro). Battery: 5000 mAh, non-removable | A power adapter is NOT included.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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